Piston ring



' March 11, 1930. D. M. SOLENBERGER PISTON RING I Filed March 28. 19273mm Jean M. Sal e21 be) er M g- Z Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE DEAN M. SOLENBERGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THESIMPLEX PISTON RING CO. OF AMERICA, INC., 013 CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO PISTON RING- Original application filed April 16,1923, Serial No. 632,290. Divided and this application filed March 28,1927. Serial No. 179,122.

The invention relates to axially expansible piston rings and the presentapplication is a divisional of my co-pending application. Serial No.632,290 filed April 16, 1923. In the parent application various specificconstructions of rings are shown and described to all of which axialresiliency is imparted .should be capable of axial contraction.

by slotting the ring circumferentially. The ring is also renderedradially expansible by trans-splitting the'same and to seal the joint atthis trans-split'the adjacent ends preferably overlap each other.

In the use of the rings of this type they are placed in ring grooveswhich are less in Width and it is therefore necessary that all portionsof the ring including the overlapping eids ne way in which this may beaccomplished is to extend one of the circumferential slots across thesplit. Another way is to terminate the slots short of the split leavingsolid overlapping ends and in then reducing the width of these solid endportions to that of the ring groove. This latter construction forms thesubject matter of the present application for patent as shown in theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ring.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the overlapping end portionsof the ring showing the same contracted to fit the ring groove and indotted lines expanded to normal position.

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Figure 2.

A is the piston ring which is first formed of an axial dimension whichis greater than the width of the ring groove B. This ring is then sawedor otherwise circumferentially slotted preferably with overlappinstaggered slots as indicated at C and D. F and F V are overlappingtongues or end portions of the ring which seal the joint. As shown,these ends being in contact with each other and being solid at the endsare incapable of axial contraction and therefore must be reduced to thewidth of the ring groove. This may be accomplished by grinding orotherwise removing the material from the ring on opposite sides of thesplit so that when all portions will fit within the ring groove.

While I have shown but one construction it is obvious that anyconstruction in which the end portions of the ring adjacent to the splitare solid may be made to fit the ring groove and without interferencewith the axial expansibility of other portions of the ring.

What I claim as my invention is:

A sealing ring comprising a trans-split ring member having a normalaxial dimension in excess of that of the ring groove and provided withoverlapping series of circumferentially extending slots rendering allportions of said ring with the exception of portions adjacent the splitaxially compressible, said portions adjacent to the split being reducedin axial dimension to be insertable in and to substantially fit the ringgroove when said portions opposite the slots are axially compressed tofit the groove.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DEAN M. SOLENBERGER.

